Lawnmower Taco Recipe

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We participate in other affiliate programs as well. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.

Food shouldn't be complicated. Or bad for you. Or expensive. I'm working to craft good cheap eats that we can both enjoy. You can read more about this site here. Check out my cookbooks if you're needing some budget-friendly inspiration. Read about how to make healthy eating work for you here.

One of my family’s favorite recipes also happens to be a quick dinner idea. It seems so simple, yet it’s so good! I haven’t met a soul who doesn’t love this Lawnmower Taco.

Years ago FishPapa and I lived in a 200-square foot studio apartment. The studio was actually the guest house of a larger property. Our landlords became our good friends, helping us welcome our first baby and encouraging us both over the years. Whenever I was bored, I’d just walk ten feet over to Karen’s kitchen. Inevitably, she had something yummy cooking.

One night she made a casserole that smelled divine. It was a taco chip casserole bake thingy from one of those branded cookbooks. You know, the ones that tell you exactly what brand of chips to buy. I looked at the recipe and gave it a try. We loved it.

However, it called for some ingredients, like commercial taco seasoning, sour cream, and chopped green chiles, that were too pricey for our budget. It also had a prep method that lent itself to lumpy gravy.

So, I did some tweaking, and then some more tweaking. In the end I landed on a casserole that was significantly different from the original, but cheaper and easier to make. Imagine my surprise when one of my sweet children turned up his nose at my masterpiece.

FishPapa cajoled him into taking a bite, “What do you mean you don’t like it? You love tacos. This is what happens when I run over tacos with the lawnmower.”

Lawnmower Taco

Needless to say, the kid scarfed it down, and a family favorite moniker was born: Lawnmower Taco.

I shared this recipe over on Life as Mom years ago, and it continues to be a huge favorite at our house as well as in the homes of readers and friends. I haven’t made it in awhile, so I better get it back in rotation. My kids think I’m the best ever when I make this Lawnmower Taco recipe.

This is an ideal quick dinner idea. It really takes about fifteen minutes to assemble and then another fifteen to bake in the oven. It’s quick, delicious, and warm all the cockles of your heart. Seriously. I haven’t met a soul who doesn’t love it.

I can attest to how good this is too. I have been making this for quite some time now and it always amazes us just like the first time I made it. And, of course, we call it by it’s “official name” : “Lawnmower Taco”. Ha Ha.

We looove your Lawnmower Taco Casserole!! It’s easy and delicious and a great change from the heavy tomato based SouthWest dishes. Now that I know more of the background story, it makes this recipe even more appealing. 🙂

This is a huge hit with our family too. For a few years, I looked for a recipe that could use the last bit of leftover chips in the bag. I couldn’t find one we liked. Then, I tried the lawnmower tacos. Delicious! Now, I save a bag in the freezer for leftover chips. As soon as I get to 9oz, this makes it on the menu rotation. (I will also crumble up fresh chips if I’m in the mood for the dish too…)

I make it occasionally when I have extra chips sitting around and want something different than nachos. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big fan of tacos, but while I love the flavor, I still generally bulk it up with beans and sometimes even rice if I have some leftovers. In your photo, you have beans on the side which is a great idea, but if I put it in the casserole itself then it is easier to eat less of the meat and chips while still feeling like we have a bigger portion. I guess ours should be called lawnmower burritos. 🙂

Hi! I'm Jessica. I believe great meals don't have to be complicated or expensive. There's a better way -- and it won't take all afternoon.

Disclaimer/Disclosure

Please note that the advertisements posted here do not necessarily represent Jessica Fisher's views and opinions.

Also be advised that some of these advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site (when you click through). You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices.

To better serve my readers, I have implemented Google Analytics cookies in order to better know visitor demographics. For opt outs, go here.